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Saturday, January 8, 2011

Book Review: The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This book is written a little differently than Ms. Wilder's previous books, as she never finished writing and editing it. It's 4 chapters, so naturally those are long, although the book itself is very short.

Even though Laura doesn't want to be married to a farmer she agrees to give Almanzo three years (which stretches into 4 and then into 70) to prove that he can be just as successful as a farmer, and she can be as happy as a farmer's life, as Laura wants her life to be. It was surprising for me to read that she never saw herself as a farmer's daughter, as I frequently thought of Pa as a farmer, but she thinks of herself as a pioneer's daughter. And when she describes cooking for all the threshers, it's true, that's something Ma never did.

As usual, not everything goes as well as planned. There are blizzards, hailstorms, tornadoes, babies, a fire, and many other obstacles to overcome, but with love and faith and inner strength, they do so. Manly and Laura seem perfectly suited to each other, and were an excellent model relationship for me to see when I was a kid. As an adult, it's still a great bar to aspire to. I'm sad I'm done with the last book, but that just means I have another year of rereads to look forward to.

I love Laura Ingalls Wilder. Anyone who hasn't read the Little House books should do so right now. They are the ideal gift for any kids 4-years and older. I am impressed with how they've stood the test of time, and I'm sure they'll still be around a hundred years from now.

This review is a part of Kid Konnection, hosted by Booking Mama, a collection of children's book-related posts over the weekend. I purchased the whole set of Little House books from my previous work, with my employee discount.